Jerry Bruckheimer is one of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry. With his secrets, you can make your life a blockbuster! BY LINDZI SCHARF, 22

Everyone gets wrapped up in what (and who!) they see on the movie screen, but what excites me is being a part of the action behind the scenes. And no one is more of a Hollywood insider than Jerry Bruckheimer. He's produced some of the most successful movies ever, like Top Gun, Armageddon, and Pirates of the Caribbean. (Edge of-your-seat action movies with killer soundtracks are his trademark.) Plus, he's the man behind TV shows like The Amazing Race and CSI. Did you know Jerry started out by bringing executives their mail? Now his production company has raked in over $12.5 billion! He's proof you can start small and still make it big. After college, I moved to Los Angeles to break into the movie business. I wanted to do it all right away. But in interviewing Jerry, I learned that there is no shortcut to success. He says you're never actually on the bottom, since every little job you do has the power to take you to the top. Read on!

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Lindzi Scharf: When you were young, did you have a plan for the future?

Jerry Bruckheimer: No. I just hoped that I could afford a life that was a little better than what my parents were able to afford as immigrants from Germany.

LS: What did you learn from your parents about how to be successful?

JB: My dad was a salesman and everybody liked him. If someone wanted a delivery on a Saturday at 10 p.m., he'd do it. So when I started working in the mailroom of an advertising agency in Detroit, where I grew up, I was willing to do things that other people wouldn't. It's that kind of can-do attitude that helps you enormously. I worked my way into the television department there by helping the woman who ran it. She didn't have time to do personal things, so whenever she needed somebody, I was there for her. So when it came time for her to hire an assistant, I got the job.

LS: What made you want to be in the movie business?

JB: When I was in my early 20s, I started filming and editing commercials. I learned the power of film- creating a message that reaches a lot of people.

LS: Is there anything you wish you'd known when you were first starting out?

JB: I should have had more faith in my talent. I think I would have gotten to achieve more, earlier, had I believed in myself. But I let other people take credit for my work.

LS: A lot of girls have a problem taking credit for their work. Why is it so important?

JB: Nobody turns in a term paper and writes somebody else's name on it. You write your name on it and everybody knows you wrote it. It's important to stand up for your work- otherwise somebody else will step in and say they did it.

LS: What can a teenage girl do now to break into the entertainment industry?

JB: You have to start at the very bottom and you've got to do every job. I did that so I could understand what everybody does. I didn't become this huge producer overnight. It took many, many years.

LS: What's the secret to Hollywood success?

JB: You can't be afraid of hard work or long hours. Sacrifice is important.

LS: What's the best part of your job?

JB: I can stand at the back of the theater and watch an audience laugh, cry, and be moved by what I do. I can entertain people around the world. It's nice when you can give someone that gift.